Look What Came Home to Roost

[cycla-fabric]

I must be crazy, but I checked out an ad posted by Launderess and contacted the seller on cragslist. I went down to checkout the machine and it ran, so I decided to buy it and bring it home. Got good tips on making sure it was packed well for coming home. I spent about 2 hours cleaning it up and have some more minor things to do on it. It was stuck on low speed, so I checked out the solenoid and it just needed a minor touch and like magic its back to operating on two speeds again. Everything seems to work so far, but as I said, it needs some minor things before I do a water test. Check out the pics, not sure where that part in pic 4 goes, but it should be fun as I never had a filter flo washer, wish me luck.

Doug

 

[gelaundry4ever]

GE filter-flo

It screams GE filter-flo to me.

 

[jons1077]

Pic 4

This fits just under the lid at the back of the round opening. It is to retain the white vinyl splash guard along with a piece of wire.

 

[pulltostart]

Doug,

Congratulations on your Filter-flo!  Always good to see something advertised that goes to someone who will appreciate it.  Have fun with the washer; it looks much better for the cleaning.

 

lawrence

 

[swestoyz]

1969 WA1040 EA

What a great save! This is from my favorite era of GE, where both the styling and performance are fantastic.

The E in the model number indicates 1969 model year and A as the series designation. It appears that the A machines have the later version of the bleach funnel and the revised suspension system that allow for the provision of the T-frame motor, which is so much easier to find today than the earlier and serviceable motors.

The serial number letters ME indicate that the washer was made in July, 1969.

Ben

 

[mb1974]

From what I understand, you should use slow agitation and spin as little as possible. I'm no expert on washers but people in the know have told me that for some odd reason the clutches on the FF washers will be ruined if slow speed is used too often. In 50 years from 1967 to 2017, our family had 2 of these Filter Flo washers. Never even changed as much as a belt on either one and before I knew what I was doing I overloaded them regularly. Still performed very well. Thank goodness I never used the slow speed settings. Good luck.

 

[repairguy]

Congrats Doug! If I’m not mistaken you’ve been searching for a filter flo for a long time. Well you couldn’t have found a better one. Enjoy and best of luck with it.

 

[bajaespuma]

Aferim!

Wonderful machine! BTW, I concur with what Michael posted about the speed clutch. I had a WA-950X as my daily driver for a while and I liked that model because one could set agitation and spin speeds separately. I kept the toggles on SLOW agitation and NORMAL spin because that's how I roll. After a couple of years the SLOW speeds on both no longer worked. Pity. I have known a couple of Filter-Flo's that lose their 2nd speed late in life.  I wonder if that would be the case on the machines with 3 or 4 agitation speed choices.

 

Thank you for the close-up of the rating plate. Could you post some close-up pics of the control panel and the control dial? I'd like to do an illustration of your machine.

 

[Ultramatic]

 

 

Another one saved! Congratulations Doug!

 

[cycla-fabric]

Thanks guys for the compliments. I had no idea that the machine was from 1969, that's amazing, as this machine was in storage, how long who knows. I have some pics of the control panel for you to make up. Hopefully when I add water to it to test it, it won't leak. It doesn't look like it had leaked before as I don't see any telltale signs of water leakage and rust stains.
Doug

 

[peteski50]

GE

Doug this is a Great catch - Best of Luck with it!
Peter

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Nothing says GE Washer better than that ramp agitator and I’m sure it out-washes just about anything you call a washer…

Here’s hoping you’ll do many, many loads with it!

— Dave

 

[qsd-dan]

Congrats on scoring a higher end Filter Flo washer. They are fun and interesting washers.

 

[launderess]

Congrats and best of luck with your new aquistion.

L.

 

[bradfordwhite]

Looks like a fun new project

I'm happy for you that you found this and the motor is working good.

As Jon stated, that curved plastic part is a spacer for the rubber "clothes retainer" and wire that goes around the rim. The hole in it lines up with the filter-flo spout.

The screws are for the wood back panel which is apparently missing? Not a surprise if it is.

The wire piece with the hook on the end is for the lid switch. The hook part wraps around the hinge and activates the lid switch. If you take a picture of the underside of the washer top near the lid switch we can tell you how things look. Maybe it's been replaced. With out that in place, the washer ultimately won't work, unless the lid switch has been eliminated.

This isn't a ramp agitator, it's a straight-vane, standard capacity or 16lb if I remember correctly.

Did it come with the filter pan, mini-basket, and/or fabric softener dispenser?

I wonder how all that tape residue got on there.

You're doing a good job cleaning this 50+ year old gem.

The first washer I picked up, when I started refurbishing appliances way back in 1981, was a similar late 60s GE washer in avocado, with that same type console trim but it had a lighted dial, toggle switches, and a sudsaver. I lucked out and the only problem it has was a sock stuck in the pump which I quickly learned how to remove and it worked. Even the light on the dial still worked.

I hope you have fun with yours as well.

[this post was last edited: 3/17/2023-00:22]

 

[appnut]

I've never seen a GE washer with the options knob that way with both extra rinse, cold wash, and normal, or both extra rinse & cold wash. If their 1978 comprable model would have hadd the same type of options arrangement, I may have bought that insttead.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Oops, yes now I noticed the agitator’s a straight-vane, still capable of optimal washing ability, and I like the cycle modifier knob as well..

Loads of washing fun with her I hope you’ll have!

— Dave